Combined seat and luggage compartment for railway parlor cars



March 23, 1937. w. F. CONNAL' COMBINED SEAT AND LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT FOR RAILWAY PARLbR CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 11, 1935 INVENTOR J F WllUAME-CO u HAL A; TORNEY March 23, 1937. w L 2,074,461

COMBINED SEAT AND LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT FOR RAILWAY PARLOR CARS Filed Nov. 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- INVEN OR WILUAMJECONNAL ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 23, 1937 PATET ()FFICE COMBINED SEAT AND LUGGAGE COMPART- MENT FOR RAILWAY PARLOR CARS William Ferguson Connal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application November 11, 1935, Serial No. 49,191

7 Claims.

This invention relates to chairs for railway parlor cars and comprises an improved form of chair which is designed to provide a storage compartment for the storage of luggage and other articles.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a combined chair and storage compartment which possesses the requisite stifiness and strength and may be fabricated and installed at a relatively low cost.

According to this invention the main framing structure of the chair comprises sheet metal bottom, side and back members which are preferably made of steel. The bottom member is secured upon a rotatably mounted base casting so that the chair may be conveniently turned to face in any desired direction. The side members are connected together and braced by front and rear seat supports upon which a removable seat member is mounted so that the space between the seat member and the bottom member affords a compartment of substantial area for the storage of luggage and other articles, said compartment being open at the front of the chair. .At a point between the upper edges of the side members and the seat supports, a suitable reinforcifig member is extended across the inner surface of the back member and along the inner surface of the side members to strengthen the upper portion of the chair and to assist the seat supports in preventing spreading of the side members. Suitable arm rest frames are secured to the inner surfaces of the side members and provide arm rests overlying the upper edges of a said members. The chair is then provided with suitable upholstery covering the arm rest frames, the outer surfaces of the side members and the inner and outer surfaces of. the back member,

the upholstery at the inner surface of the back member including a suitable back cushion extending from a point near the top of the storage compartment to the upper edge of the back member.

Proceeding now to a more detailed description of this invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my imr proved chair.

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation showing one-half of the chair upholstered and the other half as it appears before the furring and upholstery are applied.

55 Figure 3 is a iew similar to Fig. 1 but show.-

ing the metal framework and wooden structure of the chair as it appears prior to being upholstered.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a portion of the structure appearing in Fig. 3. 5

Figure 5 is a top plan view showing one-half of the chair upholstered and the other half as it appears before the furring and upholstery are applied.

Figure 6 is a view in side elevation of an arm 10 rest assembly.

Figure '7 is a front edge view of the assembly appearing in Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 88 of Fig. 6. 15

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the manner in which the arm rest assembly appearing in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive is attached to one of the side members of the chair. This view also shows the manner in which the arm rest 20 assembly is upholstered.

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line Ill-40 of Fig. 9.

Figure 11 is an inverted plan view of the underside of the chair structure. 25

The bottom 5, sides 6, and back I of my improved chair are made of fabricated steel or other suitable metal possessing the requisite stiffness and strength. The bottom and sides are in one piece as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 wherein it will be noted that the upper portions of the sides are made somewhat narrower than the lower portions. The rear edge of the bottom 5 projects beyond the rear edges 6a of the sides and is curved as indicated at 5a in Fig. 5. The front edge of the bottom 5 is bent as indicated at 522 to hook beneath the front edge portion of a cast base 8 to which the bottom is secured. The back 1 is transversely curved and has its 40 front edges la. welded to the rear edges 6a. of the sides. The curved lower edge of the back is welded to the correspondingly curved rear edge of the bottom.

The bottom 5 constitutes the floor of a luggage 45 compartment 9, the top of which is formed by a removable seat cushion II). This compartment 9 is open at the front but is closed at the rear by the lower portion of the back I. The seat member ID rests on a pair of inverted channel members l2 in which wood fillers l3 are suitably secured. The ends of the members [2 are welded or otherwise secured to the side members 6. In Fig. 3 the rear member I 2 is shown as provided with upstanding terminal flanges I20. by means of which it may be conveniently welded or otherwise secured to the side members 6. Front member l2 carries pins M which are received in suitable sockets l5 formed in the cushion l6 and serve to hold the latter against accidental displacement in a horizontal plane. A suitable curtain l5a (Figs. 1 and 2) is suspended from the front channel member I2 to close 011 the front of the luggage compartment 9.

The outer surfaces of the sides 6 and the back i are covered by suitable fabric H, the lower edges of which are fastened to wooden strips 18 carried by the side and rear portions of the base 8. Above the compartment 9 the inner surfaces of the sides and back are upholstered as generally indicated at I9 and 20. The upholstery 20 includes a back cushion 2| and cushion supporting springs 22, said springs being interposed between the cushion 2I and a suitable arrangement of horizontal and vertical wooden furring strips 23 fastened directly to the inner surface of the metal back.

The upholstery H3 at each side of the chair is applied over a wooden arm rest structure generally indicated at 24. As shown in Figs. 3 to 10 inclusive this structure comprises upper and lower horizontal frame members 25 and 26 connected together by front and rear vertical frame members 21 and 28. The lower frame member 26 is secured to the inner surface of one of the side members 6 directly above the inverted channel members l2. The upper frame member 25 is thus disposed substantially flush with the upper horizontal edge of the side members 6. This frame member 26 carries a relatively wide board 29 which forms the arm rest proper. The upholstery I9 is applied over a thick pad or cushion [9a overlying the top and sides of the arm rest 29 and the inner sides of the frame members 25, 26, 2 1 and 28. The edges of the frame members 26 and 21 are also suitably upholstered as indicated at 3B. The sides 6 and back I are preferably reinforced by a U-shaped reinforcing and bracing member 32. This bracing member is horizontally arranged with its bight portion 32a engaging the inner surface of the back 1 and its side arms 32b extending forwardly along the inner surface of the side members 6 as shown to advantage in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, said bracing member being secured in place by Welding or otherwise.

The cast base 8 comprises an outer portion 8a carried by a series of arms 8b radiating from a central hub 80. This hub 80 carries a pivot pin 8d which projects below the same into a socket member 34 suitably mounted in the floor 35 representing the floor of a railway parlor car. The pin 8d is rotatably mounted in the socket 3G so that the chair as a whole may be revolved in a horizontal plane to face in any desired direction.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1'. A chair of the character described including sheet metal bottom, side and back members, a seat supported between the sheet metal side members at a substantial distance above the bottom member, the space between the seat member and the bottom member affording a storage compartment of substantial area open at the front of the chair, arm-rest frames secured to the inner surfaces of said side members and suitable upholstery covering the arm-rest frames, the outer surfaces of said side members, and the inner and outer surfaces of said back member.

2. A chair of the character described including sheet metal bottom, side, and back members, a rotatably mounted base on which the bottom member is secured so that the chair may be turned to face in any desired direction, front and rear seat supports extending between the side members and having their ends secured thereto, said seat supports being located below the upper edges of the side members but at a substantial distance above the bottom member, a seat member removably mounted on said seat supports so that the space between the seat member and the bottom member constitutes a storage compartment of substantial area and a reinforcing member extending across the front surface of the back member and forwardly along the inner surfaces of the side members, said reinforcing member being located above the seat supporting members.

3. A chair of the character described including a sheet metal bottom member having a curved rear edge, sheet metal side members having their lower edges integral with opposite sides of said bottom member, a transversely curved sheet metal back member, presenting forwardly directed side edges welded to the rear edges of said side members, the lower edge of said back member being welded to the curved rear edge of the bottom member and seat supports connected between said side members at points located below the upper edges of the side members but at a substantial distance above the bottom member.

4. A chair as set forth in claim 3 including a reinforcing member presenting a curved portion extending across the curved inner surface of the back member and terminating in forwardly directed side arm portions extending along the inner surfaces of the side members, said reinforcing member being welded to said back and side members and being located between the upper edges of the side members and the seat supports.

5. A chair of the character described comprising a sheet metal plate bent to provide a bottom member and integral side members extending upwardly from opposite edges of the bottom member, the rear edge of the bottom member being transversely curved and projected beyond the rear edges of the side member, a transversely curved sheet metal back member having its side and bottom edges respectively welded to the rear edges of the side and bottom member, and a seat member supported between the side members in spaced relation to the bottom member, so that the space between the seat member and said bottom member constitutes a storage compartment of substantial area, said seat member being also located a substantial distance below the upper edges of the side members.

6. A chair of the character described comprising a sheet metal plate bent to provide a bottom member and integral side members extending upwardly from opposite edges of the bottom member, a sheet metal back member having its side and bottom edges secured to said side and bottom members, a seat member supported between the sheet metal side members in spaced relation to the bottom member, said seat member being also positioned a substantial distance below the upper edges of the side and back members, and a U- shaped reinforcing member having its bight portion secured to the inner surface of the back member and its side arms secured to the inner surfaces of the side members, said reinforcing member being attached to the side and back members at a point between the seat member and the upper edges of the side members.

7. A chair of the character described comprising a sheet metal plate bent to provide a bottom member and integral side members extending upwardly from opposite edges of the bottom member, a sheet metal back member having its side and bottom edges secured to said side and back members, a seat member supported between the sheet metal side members in spaced relation to the bottom member, said seat member being positioned a substantial distance below the upper edges of the side and back members, arm rest frames secured to the inner surfaces of said side members, horizontal and vertical furring strips fastened to the inner surface of the back member and suitable upholstery covering the arm rest frames, the furring strips of the back member and the outer surfaces of both the side and back members.

WILLIAM FERGUSON CONNAL. 

